Aussies developing small flying robots for agriculture

By Damir Beciri
10 November 2011

peter-corke-robotWe already published a fair share of articles regarding flying robots, but the robotics team at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) recently got a grant to develop a couple of interesting robots. They are developing a low-cost flying robot that could be used to inspect the hard to reach places, as well as a… »

A new lightweight robot inspired by spiders

By Damir Beciri
3 Comments10 November 2011

fraunhofer-robotic-spiderSpiders have inspired a group of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA to create a mobile robot which looks and moves as spiders. This high-tech assistant is still a prototype, but researchers envision its use as an exploratory tool in environments that are too hazardous or hardly reachable for humans…. »

Batteries with titanium dioxide nanotubes charge pretty fast

By Damir Beciri
One Comment10 November 2011

argonne-titanium-dioxide-batteryA team of researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, discovered that nanotubes composed of titanium dioxide can switch their phase as a battery is cycled, gradually boosting their operational capacity. Laboratory tests showed that batteries produced with this material could be recharged up to half of their original capacity in less… »

Honda unveiled a new and improved ASIMO humanoid robot

By Damir Beciri
One Comment8 November 2011

asimo-2011Honda Robotics, a newly established collective name used to represent all of Honda’s robotics technologies, unveiled a new version of their popular ASIMO humanoid robot. Its new autonomous behavior control technology allows it to continue moving without being controlled by an operator, and its improved algorithms and dexterity make ASIMO more practical in office or… »

Green architecture – naked Stables Private Reserve

By Damir Beciri
One Comment7 November 2011

naked-stables-private-reserve-1In our previous article regarding green architecture, we wrote about a part of naked Retreats named naked Home Village – a rustic resort on Moganshan mountain in Zhejiang Province, just 200km from Shanghai. Their new venture which opened last month is named naked Stables Private Reserve – a luxury resort built to become the first… »

Robotic system enables faster and automated glass development

By Damir Beciri
5 November 2011

robot-glass-screeningAside the difference in coloration, a layman might think every glass material is the same, but there is more than it meets the eye in this transparent material. Glass can consist of up to 60 different elements, and experts are constantly creating glass with properties required in some application. Researchers of the Fraunhofer Institute for… »

e-volo electric multicopter performed its first manned flight

By Damir Beciri
3 November 2011

e-volo-electric-multicopterIn our previous articles we wrote about quadricopters used in research regarding swarm algorithms and entertainment, but a group of people from Germany took the application of these electrically charged flying machines a step further. They created e-volo electric multicopter – a sixteen propeller flying vehicle which completed its first manned flight at the end… »

Eucalyptus leaf wax coating could be used for self-cleaning surfaces

By Damir Beciri
One Comment1 November 2011

eucaliptus-color-dropsEucalyptus macocarpa, which is also known as The Rose of the West or Mottlecah, is a mallee Eucalyptus that is native to the south-west of Western Australia and noted for its large, spectacular flowers. Murdoch University researchers have discovered that it has unique self-cleaning and water-repellent properties which could be used in new nanotechnology applications…. »